Scholar in the Park Positions Open

Date: May 4, 2016
Contact: Leslie Obleschuk, (978) 318 - 7831

The Friends of Minute Man National Park and the Lincoln Minute Men, organizations dedicated to advancing and preserving our historic heritage, will sponsor two Scholar in the Park positions this summer to research and write about the following:

• People of Color along the Battle Road in 1775 (Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington, MA)
• Lives of Women along the Battle Road in 1775 

The research and written papers will be used to support interpretation and education presented at the park.

 

Each scholar will receive a stipend of $2,000. Applications are due May 31, 2016 with work to be completed by September 30, 2016. Scholar qualifications, research questions, specifications, and details about how to apply are included on the announcements.

 

 

People of Color, RFP

Scholar in the Park “People of Color along the Battle Road” Research Project Summer 2016

The Friends of Minute Man National Park and the Lincoln Minute Men, organizations dedicated to advancing and preserving our historic heritage, will sponsor a Scholar to research “People of Color along the Battle Road” – the lives and circumstances of people of color, free or enslaved, who resided in the Battle Road towns of Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington in 1775. Among other uses by the Park, the resulting research and written papers will support volunteer and NPS staff interpreters in the Park, as well as the creation of lesson plans by school teachers. Research questions and specifications for the written materials to be provided are described below. The Scholar will receive $2,000, with up to $500 additionally for research expenses (see Funding, below). The project must be completed by September 30, 2016.

Application Process
To apply: send a statement of interest in the project in the form of a cover letter, along with a résumé that includes contact information for two references. The résumé should demonstrate that the applicant can meet the qualifications outlined in the section on Applicant Qualifications below. Application materials should be sent via email to Leslie Obleschuk, Chief of Interpretation and Education of Minute Man National Historical Park, at
[e-mail]

The deadline for receiving complete applications is May 31, 2016. Questions about the project may also be addressed via email to Leslie Obleschuk.

Applicant Qualifications

• B.A., M.A. preferred, with specialization in the history of the American Revolution and/or the history of people of color in early America
• Knowledge of Massachusetts history during the American Revolution
•  Familiarity with research repositories appropriate for the proposed research project
• Excellent research and writing skills as demonstrated by recent research projects
• Experience in presenting authoritative historical research to non-academic audiences
• Ability to work independently and think creatively when interpreting research sources
• Ability to complete the proposed research project on schedule

Scope of Research
The research undertaken about the lives of the “People of Color along the Battle Road” will be guided by the following questions:

1. What were the specific demographics of the people of color in the households along the Battle Road in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington at the time of the American Revolution, i.e., number, gender, age, residence, occupation, status (free or enslaved)?
2. Who were the people of color in the households along the Battle Road in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington at the time of the American Revolution? Where did they come from? Did they have family in the area? 
3. Describe the households abutting the Battle Road in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington in 1775 that contained a person of color, i.e., who were the occupants of all races, sources of income, property owned, division of labor, etc.? Were there Caucasian servants or enslaved people?
4. What kind or degree of contact and communication existed between the people of color in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington and other communities of color beyond the Battle Road towns?
5. What were the duties or work of the people of color in the households along the Battle Road during the American Revolution? What type of living conditions or accommodations did they have?
6. Did the lives of women of color differ from the experiences of males of color in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington?
7. How did slave-owners and other residents in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington reconcile the servitude of slaves with the principles of the Revolution?
8. Was the status of the people of color living in the households abutting the Battle Road in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington changed following the Revolution?

Research Products – Specifications
The written report for the research undertaken about “People of Color along the Battle Road” must conform to the following specifications:

1. Short essays should address each of the proposed questions in the Scope of Research section above. When appropriate, an essay may combine the answers to more than one question, as long as all questions are fully answered. These essays will be used as the basis for programs by volunteer interpreters and teachers, so the essays should be authoritative and also accessible to well-informed but non-academic readers. Whenever feasible, the essays should provide specific historical vignettes, appropriate for use by interpreters and teachers, which illuminate broader themes in the lives of the people of color along the Battle Road.
2. If a proposed research question cannot be answered, a short explanation of the research methods undertaken and sources consulted in pursuit of the question will be provided.
3. All essays and explanations must be accurately documented with citations. The citations should follow the format provided by the most recent edition of A Manual of Style by the University of Chicago Press.
4. A bibliography combining all of the resources consulted for all of the essays must be provided. The bibliographic citations should follow the format provided by the most recent edition of A Manual of Style by the University of Chicago Press.
5. The bibliography should also include a list of all repositories consulted with a description of the research value of the repository for the proposed project.

Funding
The Scholar in the Park will receive $2,000 from the Friends of Minute Man National Park to research and create a report about “People of Color along the Battle Road,” as described in the Scope of Research section. Partial payment will be made to the Scholar in the Park after receipt of fifty percent of the report. Additional funding for travel, photocopying, or other research costs necessary to complete the project may be available, upon written request from the Scholar. Such additional funding will not exceed $500. Final payment to the Scholar will be made when the complete report is submitted. The project must be completed by September 30, 2016.